5 Reasons Why It’s Ridiculous to Claim Animals are Skinned Alive

One of the most insulting and insidious lies spread by animal activists is that animals are “skinned alive” for their fur.

The origins of this vicious lie go back fully 50 years, to the first seal-hunt protests, and those charges were soon proved to be false, as we will explain soon. Ten years ago, the old myth was revived – this time about Asiatic raccoons. Since then, activists have become more and more extravagant, claiming (and, no doubt, believing) that rabbits, mink and other species are also treated cruelly, including being skinned alive.

Genesis of a lie: In 1964, a Canadian sealer was paid by film-makers to poke a live harp seal with a knife. And so the myth about skinning animals alive was born. Photo: Visit Greenland.

One of the main goals of Truth About Fur is to debunk falsehoods about the fur industry, so let’s make something perfectly clear: Animals are NOT skinned alive for their fur. Period.

Here are some of the reasons why it is absolutely ridiculous to even suggest it.

1. It would be completely inhumane

Contrary to what activists would have us believe, most farmers take great pride in what they do; they take good care of their animals and treat them with respect. After all, their livelihoods depend on these animals, and the only way to produce the high quality of mink and fox for which North America is known is by providing them with excellent nutrition and care. When you work hard to care for animals – seven days a week, 52 weeks a year – you certainly don’t want to see them suffer.

It is therefore completely ignorant (and insulting) to claim that farmers would treat their animals with cruelty. They certainly would never skin an animal alive!

2. It would be dangerous for the operator

If respect for the animals and normal compassion were not enough to ensure that animals are not skinned alive, the farmer’s self-interest would be. A live and conscious animal will move, putting the farmer at risk of being bitten or scratched or cut with his own knife – creating a real risk of infection or disease transmission.

Why would anyone expose themselves to such risks by skinning a live animal? The answer, of course, is that they don’t!

Wildlife control professional and bushcraft educator Ross Hinter shows a wolf pelt to his audience. He doesn’t need to explain why skinning a live wolf is a bad idea. Read his blog post, Should we be trapping wolves in Canada?

3. It would take longer and be less efficient

We’ve already explained the dangers of skinning a live animal – only common sense when you think about it – but let’s also take a moment to consider how difficult it would be.

Farming is a business and, like in most businesses, it is important to be efficient. Clearly it must be faster to skin an animal after it’s been euthanized. It is also important to understand that the skinning of a mink or other fur animal must be done very carefully, to avoid nicks and other damage that would lower the value of the fur.

So, again, why would anyone skin a live animal? Quite apart from the cruelty, it would make no business sense whatsoever.

4. It would spoil the fur

While activists like to accuse farmers of being greedy (“killing animals for profit!”), they don’t seem to understand that skinning animals alive would work against the farmer’s financial interest.

Today’s international markets are very competitive. The amount you earn for your fur is determined by a number of factors including pelt size, fur quality, colour … and damage. But the heart of a live animal would be beating and pumping blood; attempting to skin a live animal would therefore unnecessarily stain the fur. Yet another reason why animals are not skinned alive.

Farming mink requires a high level of care during their lives, and skill during the pelting process. Aside from being inhumane, dangerous, time-consuming and illegal, pelting mink while they’re still alive would ruin their fur. See A year on a mink farm. Part 1: Breeding. Photo: Truth About Fur.

5. It’s illegal

In North America, Europe, and most other regions it is illegal to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. Skinning an animal alive is therefore not only inhumane and immoral – it’s clearly illegal. Yet another reason why animals are not skinned alive.

But what about that video?

Activists frequently cite a horrific video taken in a village somewhere in China as “proof” that animals are skinned alive in the fur industry. When this video was first shown, in 2005, fur industry officials contacted the European animal-protection group that released it. They asked for a complete, uncut version of the video, as well as for information about when and where it was filmed, so a proper investigation could be conducted.

Unfortunately, the activists refused to provide this information. Strange.

The lie revived: In 2005, an animal activist group released video of an Asiatic raccoon being skinned alive in China. The original, uncut footage has never been made public. For this and other reasons, the video is believed to have been staged. Photo: 663highland.

If animal welfare was really their goal, wouldn’t you think they would want a full investigation? And if this was really common practice, why has there never been another video showing this type of cruelty? (Even PETA now concedes skinning alive is not common practice, but still insists it happens on fur farms because workers are rushed. In fact, euthanized mink and other farmed fur animals are usually laid out on the wire tops of their pens to cool thoroughly before pelting; otherwise the fur can be damaged or fall out after tanning.)

Combined with the facts outlined above, the only reasonable conclusion is that the cruel actions shown in this video were staged for the camera. That would be a sick thing to do, but it wouldn’t be the first time.

The film that launched the first anti-seal hunt campaigns, in 1964, showed a live seal being poked with a knife – “skinned alive”, the activists cried! But a few years later the hunter, Gustave Poirier, testified under oath to a Canadian Parliamentary committee of enquiry that he had been paid by the film-makers to poke at the live seal, something he said he would otherwise never have done. [For more on this, see Alan Herscovici’s book, Second Nature: The Animal-Rights Controversy (CBC 1985; General Publishing, 1991), pg 76.]

The moral of the story? No matter how you look at it, even from the perspective of self-interest and “greed”, it is ridiculous to claim that animals are skinned alive. Now you know. And so do our activist friends who monitor these pages.

* * *

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to a large volume of comments received in September 2016 that contributed nothing to the discussion, we have chosen to close comments for this post.

No one … absolutely NO ONE … says it’s “easier” to skin live animals than dead ones, except for animal rights activists. And there are absolutely zero films that “prove” the fur industry skins animals alive. This is a plain and simple fact because, quite aside from the inhumanity, only a total fool would try to harvest a fur in this way. Please re-read our post. Thank you.

I saw fox coats sold in china for as little as 30 usd. Huge beautiful coats that took huge beautiful animals to make. I have traded with the chinese for years and i know all they do to cut costs. I also have a dog and know how hard it is to raise an animal. Theres no way the chinese are paying to do this legally. They are most definitely killing them alive. This blog is for IDIOTS and those running it are LIARS and HORRIBLE PEOPLE

Hi Mm, by “killing them alive” I assume you mean “skinning them alive”. Even if you conveniently ignore the facts that skinning a live animal would ruin the pelt (with blood), would be dangerous to the operator (biting, scratching), and would be far more time-consuming than skinning a dead animal, please explain how, in your view, skinning an animal while it’s alive can possibly cut costs. It can’t.

The Chinese are definitely good at finding ways to keep costs down, but I don’t understand how skinning an animal alive would help to reduce costs. Did you read the article? How would it be cost efficient to do something that takes longer and is dangerous for the staff? Can you explain? Or are you an IDIOT? (Your words!)

I watched an horrific video of an animal being skinned alive and im only 13. This shows how selfish humans are, and they would do anything for money and the own peronal needs. Animal skinning need to stop!!

What about the Chinese farms? What about the farm in Wisconsin, USA? Even though activists don’t reveal certain parts of this situation, we should just skip the fact about where it is already happening? Are you sick? Is everybody in this world just sick? Take a good look at the videos that activist groups like PETA provide. None of it is photoshopped. It is the sickening truth about how animals are treated. Disgusting farmers are torturing poor Minks, Foxes, Dogs, Rabbits, and etc. for what? Their sick need for money. And that too dirty money.
Now let’s move on to the whole “understanding the human brain”. It is understood that Angora rabbits, if fur pulled out, will eventually lose their fur (thinner till no fur)… so obviously this would mean bad business for many fur farms. But people still do it anyway. Want to know why? It’s all about psychology. If a human sits behind another living being, no matter what species it is, as soon as the human does something harmful then it becomes a back of the head and gut instinct to continue harming that other being. Humans brains just work that way. But we consider it inhumane which it should be so. We don’t want that to be our initial instinct, but those who do work on fur farms, 98% of those people (averaged generation by generation) end up having this psychological defect; if those animals are hurt and skinned alive or dead that means money.
And an additional thing… why would animal protection activists go out of their way to post a staged video if a man pulling out an angora rabbits fur? Or show 100s of people skinning foxes and minks on a public farm? Think about staged vs reality and the fact that these organizations gained public attention and really began when fur farmers were videotaped and those videos were shared through any possible means.
No matter what point you look this situation from, whether it may be those who work on the farms and those outside of the farms, it is still death. Human species does not have the right to harm any other species.

Dear Isha, forgive me for giving brief responses only to your several points. We’ve already addressed China ad nauseum, if you are referring to the staged video of a raccoon dog being skinned alive (which wasn’t on a farm). Remember, we’re only talking fur production here.

I have no idea what you are referring to in Wisconsin. To my knowledge, there has never been any evidence, real or staged, of furbearers being skinned alive in Wisconsin.

None of the videos distributed by PETA is Photoshopped. Photoshop is not video-editing software. Furthermore, I’m not aware of any videos distributed by PETA that have been digitally manipulated. The issue is that events shown have either been staged or are highly misrepresentative.

I will leave analysis of your treatise on “understanding the human brain” to someone else. I don’t really understand it, perhaps because I have the “psychological defect” you refer to.

We will be doing a detailed analysis of PETA’s staged Angora rabbit video in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

I personally am against killing animals for their fur. However I also think it’s more of a personal opinion. I can see that people who do that are at very least utilizing the animal. In fact years past people literally did HAVE to use furs to keep warm. It’s not the same as trophy hunting (which I have some reservations about and some I don’t) my point is that it’s not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. As much as I would never run out an buy a mink coat, I don’t think it’s right to demonize the people who work to create these things. I really hate reading propaganda about it as well. If people are going to make arguments against something, ANYTHING, they should use facts. I’m not anti-fur industry and I’m not pro-fur industry. I’m for the truth. The best way to “demonize” anything is to use facts. Not propaganda. I wish people would learn that. Take the high road. The problem with the internet is people believe a ton of stuff with no research. I found this blog to post as a response to someone on my facebook claiming “Animals are skinned alive for coats”. Already knowing this was fake I wanted to get a source to show them. I don’t know how they’ll react to be honest but I’m glad you wrote this and I’m glad you are at least attempting to show others the truth even if a lot of them seem adamant in staying with their own opinions and calling them facts.

NOTICE FROM TRUTH ABOUT FUR: We are no longer posting comments here that include links to videos of animals purportedly being skinned alive. This is not because we wish to suppress information. It is because we are tired of checking out videos of animals being treated inhumanely, and which are either (a) excerpts from the same video mentioned in our blog post, or (b) have nothing to do with the fur trade.

Yes, animals are skinned alive in China. Not so much for the fur trade (although dog fur can end up there), but because there is a belief that dog meat tastes better if it has more adrenaline in it. So dogs are skinned alive and their writhing bodies thrown into boiling kettles. They also have their muzzles wired shut and are cooked alive with blowtorches for the same reason (I guess this spoils the fur though). Until you can guarantee that none of this fur enters the retail supply, there is no “truth about fur.” In the mean time, please feel free to search “Yulin Dog Meat Festival” and then explain what the ever thrifty Chinese do with all those pelts.

Tara, you understand of course that our blog post was concerned only with animals used in the fur trade. However, it is a fact that huge differences exist between different cultures when it comes to the treatment of animals in general. I cannot speak to the specific examples you give, but I have personally seen practices in other countries that are truly shocking to Western sensibilities. Hopefully, in time, all cultures will embrace the same standards that we in the West believe to be superior. But in the meantime, we must strive to stick to the facts. Paradoxically, in the age of the Internet, with so much info available, it’s actually become harder to sort misinformation from truth. If I were to see a video on YouTube of a skinned, living dog being boiled, my first reaction would be, “Is it staged?” Short of everyone heading to China to see things first-hand, how can we change the current perception that half of what we hear is lies?

You, in your glass house, maybe you shouldn’t be ranting about the agenda’s of animal welfare orgs, huh? Exactly what makes you different – are you claiming to have NO agenda yourselves? Lol, didn’t think so.

I have a 7 yr old raccoon beside me here. She was born on a fur farm, was genetically engineered over several generations to produce a fur that looks and feels nothing like raccoon fur.

She is as loving and unique and special as any animal or non-human animal one of you might actually feel love for. Her family is just fur trim somewhere today. She was cut loose, auctioned as a “breeder” for another fur farm… ended up in my life, part of our family.

You should meet her someday. She has a message for you as well. Care to guess her opinion of what you lamely attempt to defend — skinned alive or NOT?

It’s 2016. We don’t need fur. We KNOW the science proving non-human animal cognition. There is NOTHING left to defend, folks. Trying to makes you sub-human today,or else just too ignorant to comprehend right from wrong?

There is NO right way to do a wrong thing, period, end of discussion (among anyone with a heart and a brain, anyway).

Hi MW, I apologise for not addressing your main argument but something else about your post really caught my attention. You say you have a pet raccoon that was auctioned by one fur farm as a breeder for another. Are you in North America? I am not aware of any raccoon fur farms in North America. In fact, I’m not aware that raccoons have ever been farmed anywhere, although people might have tried in the early 20th century when experiments were tried with many species that are not farmed today. If you’d care to share more info, we’d be very interested. Also the process by which the characteristics of animals’ fur is changed on farms is not genetic engineering but selective breeding.

I was looking up if it’s even legal to own a raccoon the other day and I came to a blog that explained it’s not (unless you are qualified). It also explained that at best a raccoon is the type of pet that can be kept in a cage at worse it’s going to destroy your home. It’s not a good idea to keep them as a pet and they are not like cats/dogs. I doubt this person’s claim of having one as a pet and if she does it’s certainly not from a fur trade in North America. Nor is she acting legally.

The fact that this person has a racoon as a pet isn’t the point here or your business. You don’t know that person or the racoon. The fact that this is legal it’s also irrelevant since smoking weed is illegal too or collecting rain water or other ridiculous things. Wars are legal, dumping chemicals in ocean is legal and other horrors. Killing animals for fur shouldn’t happen at all. It’s much worse though if they are skinned alive. However you seem to be defending the fur dealers. But that’s your business.

Have we missed the point here? The reason many disagree with these animal products is that they are the body parts of our fellow animals. I don’t care if they are cold dead when their skin is removed – the fact that even happens and that these animals are held and not free, because of this, is the ultimate barbaric crime against our earth.
These animals may not speak our language but no way would they choose to be farmed vs being free.

The real crime here is suggesting that farming animals for clothing is “the ultimate barbaric crime against our earth.” How about the holocaust, slavery, natural disasters, mass shootings, genocides, epidemics? Anyone who thinks that farming animals is worse than those is seriously messed up in the head.

Marisa, you have hit the nail on the head; if you don’t think it’s ethically justifiable to kill and eat (or otherwise use) other animals, then fine, that’s your choice. But that does not give anyone a right to claim that animals are “skinned alive” when this isn’t true. The point of this blog post was simply to show that this sensationalist claim is a complete fabrication. But, of course, the reason why activists promote this vicious lie is because most people do NOT agree with you; most people DO believe that humans have a right to use animals if this is done responsibly and humanely.

Hey Alan, that yellow dog would sure make a cool purse. Can we have it, or will you be utilizing his/her skin yourself?
See, I BELIEVE one animal is no different from another. But guess what, my “belief” has science to prove it. So stroke his/her fur as I stroke my raccoon, and tell me who’s life is more special?
Your “belief” system is flawed Alan, because what you opt to call belief and speak of? is actually selfish, self-serving entitlement. A very small minded justification attempt.
Some animals are ok to “use” and some aren’t? … gee, why does that mentality ring historic bells?

MV, you raise some interesting questions. Yes, most societies make distinctions about which animals can be used for what purposes (e.g., Hindus don’t eat cows; Jews and Muslims don’t eat pigs or shrimps), and ours is no exception. Dog fur and leather has, in fact, been used through most of human history — and still is, in some regions. In wealthy western societies, however — with big houses and few children — dogs are increasingly being adopted as members of our families. They live in our houses and often sleep in our beds. Dogs therefore benefit from the quasi-universal rule that we do not eat (or make purses) from members of our families. When I threw your question to a group of cattlemen, once (i.e., why do we eat cows and not other people?) the answer from a grizzled old cowboy was profound in its simplicity: “‘Cause cows have their eyes on the side of their heads and people don’t!” In fact, most predators (wolves, owls, people) have two eyes in the front of their heads (to improve distance perception) while prey animals usually have eyes wide apart, to perceive motion in all directions. Most of our food animals do have eyes on the side of their heads (chickens, cows, fish), although pigs are an exception to this rule — which may be why they are not kosher/hallal?! But what goes around, comes around, and we will all be eaten in the end by worms and bacteria. (Unless, of course, you choose cremation…but that may soon be frowned upon if it is shown to aggravate global warming??)

“I began to realise that the animal rights movement is about money and power. To many of these groups, it is a business and a game and it has very little to do with animal welfare. These groups take advantage of uninformed people – often the young and the elderly – who really think that by donating money they are helping to save the world. They are very successful in spreading their damaging messages.”

who exactly is regulating North American fur farms? Like puppy mills, most fall under the radar and are not inspected for humane conditions. There was recently an article about Russian fur farms and the mountains of thousands of skinned bodies that are chopped up and fed to the others. The workers were quoted as saying they don’t care about the animals and if they suffer. They are paralyzed and skinned alive. This is fact, they admit it. I suspect this is what happens in all fur farms. As far as you defending China, shame on you. There is absolutely no humane treatment there. They are monsters. Many many videos of live animals having limbs chopped off, then skinned alive, fur animals, dogs and cats. Seriously what a joke

Denise, with all due respect, you appear to believe all the worst lies disseminated by animal rights extremists, and then to have added some of your own. Fur farms in North America are strictly regulated and subject to inspections by independent veterinarians. Could you please provide references for your accusations? There was, indeed, a recent BBC article on fur farming in Russia, but it cannot be the same one you are referring to as there was absolutely no mention of “mountains of thousands of skinned bodies that are chopped up and fed to the others”. Can you provide a link to your article? As for animals being skinned alive in China, there is only one video we are aware of, and that was almost certainly staged by animal rights extremists. Please, provide further info on the “many, many videos” of animals being skinned alive. The fur trade is a responsible industry, and if you can back up your claims, I assure you we will forward the evidence the relevant authorities and ensure the abusers are punished.

This is the same video that I debunked in my article (above). And, no, there are not “a dozen or more others like this”, there is only this one video, re-cut and repackaged. If this was really common practice, how come there is only this single video (filmed more than a decade ago)?

Don, that is a notorious video which was closely examined by the fur trade and others when it was first released. The original, unedited footage has never been published, despite requests to Swiss Animal Protection and PETA. Meanwhile, analysis of the conversations in the video strongly suggests the acts performed were done at the direction of the person or people doing the filming. Therefore, as far as the fur trade is concerned, and the Chinese government, this video production was staged by animal rights activists. Here’s a detailed analysis: http://furcommission.com/chinese-fur-farms-media-wary-of-latest-shock-video/

Something can only be considered humane if you would gladly have it done to you. I’m sure none of you would be happily caged all your lives, waiting to be murdered so you can have your skin removed and sold because somebody would rather use it instead of cotton, hemp or many other materials that do not involve your death.
I also take issue with your use of the word “euthanasia.” Euthanasia is assisted dying for those who wish to no longer live. Assuming that animals can consent in the first place and that they genuinely want to die.. Why would they wish to die if they are treated so well? Or are they that desperate to become pieces of fashion that they throw themselves at whatever you use to “euthanise” them?

Your definition of humane is incorrect. Being humane is causing the least pain and suffering possible while carrying out what you have to do. Using your standard we’d have to allow our pets to eat at the table with us and build them 4 post beds. As far as euthanasia, consent or will has never been implied in any definition but your own. Even the AVMA disagrees with you. There comes a point where views cross over from realistic to radical, and I believe you’re there.

“Being humane is causing the least pain and suffering possible while carrying out what you have to do.”

But you don’t HAVE to wear fur. It is simply not necessary.

If the skins of babies were in high demand, someone who’s desperate for money might argue that we “need” to kill some babies in order to sell and wear the skins. But surely the interests of the babies would come first; they wouldn’t be killed just because one person wants money and the other a coat, regardless of how humanely they are slaughtered.

So why aren’t the same standards applied to animals? The only reason seems to be pure favouritism, which is no basis for moral conduct.

Thousands of babies are murdered daily with sanction from the government, so your argument is invalid in that aspect. Even so, people are not animals in that respect, and are given more protection legally, morally, and ethically.

Dear CSanders, thank you for participating in this debate. However, we would like to ask you not to make any future references to legal abortions, as you appear to be doing here. This is a deeply controversial issue, and we do not feel Truth About Fur is the appropriate forum in which to discuss it. Hoping you understand.

Lordy lordy-anyone who thinks animals can be farmed humanely-needs to be educated on the word. There is no way to do it without killing animals. Same for trapping/fishing/whaling/finning/etc. It’s all retarded and no longer needed. Compassion will win over greed.

It depends which definition of “humane” you use, of course. Generally it is accepted as meaning the showing of compassion and reduction of suffering as far as is practical. However, the showing of humanity does not always take precedence over a predetermined objective, such as causing death. When a fisherman kills a fish for dinner, it is generally considered “humane” to bash it on the head right after it is caught, causing instant death. Would you consider this “inhumane” simply because it causes the fish’s death?

Let’s agree to disagree re: fish. Euthanising every fish in a commercial operation is simply not practical, but every sport fisherman will agree that smaller fish are best killed with a sharp blow to the top of the head. There’s even a tool for this called a priest, but a large stone does the job just as well.

If you consider blunt force trauma humane, please don’t forget to tell your loved ones that that’s how you would like to go. There is no humane way to kill an animal who wants to live and deserves to live.

Caroline, I don’t know why we’re discussing blunt force trauma, and I don’t wish to sound like a smart ass, but I have repeatedly told my family my preferred way of dying would be to have a meteorite land on my head. This is blunt force trauma in the extreme. Seriously, there is a body of scientific research that indicates that blunt force trauma is THE most humane way to kill many animals, though it obviously works best on smaller animals with thinner skulls.

Whatever….this does not excuse 50 million Angora rabbits everyday under torture and inhumane behavior. Yes maybe few companies are more emotional towards animals so they KILL them before they rip their fur off, the FUR that is of more value then life of that animal apparently, however this article did not change my mind at all.
When it comes to animals, people see them as a number, a coat, handbag without thinking how that poor animal feels, and they feel!

I am sure you would not say that Mike if someone is ripping your skin and wearing it as a wallet.I understand you have no compassion and that says lot of what a person you are. Your opinion is your opinion of course!

I see Alexandra that using animals in this fashion is no problem for you. I am sure you would not state this if it’s your skin in question!do you have no kindness at all…are you such a heartless pretator that you care about no one except your self?

Davor, for that past 20 years I have raised Angora rabbits. I saw the video that Peta released, supposedly showing a rabbit being plucked. I cannot count the ways in which it is obvious that this was a STAGED video.
I’ll start with the obvious…finance. Angora rabbits are expensive, especially in China. An Angora will produce prime wool for at least five years, if properly cared for. The wool being yanked off as shown in that video ruined the coat for several cycles. NO ONE trying to make money would do that.
Second point–the Angoras used in Chinese production are almost all German Angoras. Germans Angoras do not molt and are not plucked; Chinese Angora wool is SHEARED.
Third point: Later in the video it showed rabbits in their cages–some of which had been harvested. Take a look…they’ve been sheared, not plucked.
If animal lovers would try using their heads, they wouldn’t fall for these completely obvious publicity stunts. However, the addition of poignant music seems to ensure that one’s heart is going to overrule one’s head and voila! Misinformation is spread exponentially, the lie repeated until it’s accepted as fact. There are a number of excellent teaching videos on plucking and/or shearing Angora rabbits on YouTube; the lack of screaming, struggling or any pain is the norm, not the exception.

I’ve worked in the mink industry for 30 years. These animals are given the best of care. Their diet is carefully monitored, their fresh feed professionally prepared. They recieve vaccines, and housing and fresh water 24/7. Better than some people’s pets. One only has to research beyond the activist propaganda to see the whole story.

You only have to take a few minutes to uncover the LIES of animal rights. Like the PETA video of the angora rabbit having its fur ripped out. If you look up REAL angora rabbit owners you’ll find it’s not done like this, the fur is just clipped. THINK-do you know anyone who does waxing or epilation? If you keep tearing the hair out, what happens? It grows in thinner until it stops growing. Angora farmers would be putting themselves out of business!